Small meals with great effect – the best tips from nutrition expert Achim Sam
Back to work: fall is here! Appointments, job, family, hobbies, sport – once again, our everyday life is fully scheduled. How should there be time to think about a healthy diet? Sandwich or pizza to go, chocolate, cake and cookies in front of the computer screen – first and foremost, food needs to be one thing: quickly at hand! Luckily, there are as well healthy alternatives that are can easily and without much effort be prepared and that are practical to take along. Nutrition coach Achim Sam knows what counts when it comes to snacking.
Yummy and quick snacks
It usually happens between lunch and dinner: the infamous afternoon dip. We are tired, unmotivated – and crave something to eat. Quite weird, actually, because it wasn’t that long ago that we had lunch. “Totally normal”, according to Achim Sam. “The digestive process is highly complex. Most of the time, we don’t even notice, but this process craves a lot of energy which makes us tired, cranky and think of the next snack.” Of course, often there is no time for a healthy snack between appointments and emails, because they might be complicated to prepare. Therefore, we often chose chocolate or other not-so-healthy snacks. “Whenever the impulsive hunger comes up, I prepare myself a sandwich”, says Achim Sam. “It is easily done, also in the office. And, though butter is often presumed to be bad, I will in any case put it on my bread slice. It provides the necessary energy and satisfies”. For the sweet tooth, one could spice up the sandwich with fig chutney. A tiny jar will for sure find a spot in the common fridge in the office and will for sure satisfy the candy-craving! Instead of cheese and butter, also avocado or vegetable spreads like hummus or a cream made of sunflower seeds is perfect for the wholegrain bread. Whoever has the possibility to plan ahead can prepare a box with raw paprika, cucumber, etc. at home – the ideal complementation for the sandwich. By the way: whether in the desk drawer or the handbag – the delicious RAWBITE bars don’t only satisfy when hungry, but they are also the ideal energy boost on the go, thanks to the nuts and fruit they contain.
Consciously taking time
Especially on workdays it is a rare good: time! But while eating, we should be particularly aware of it. Only when the head registers that food was being consumed, we really feel satisfied, as studies have shown – and this goes both for meals and snacks. But it might still not be so easy to practice this between two appointments and a full schedule. Expert Achim Sam is aware of the problem and has a good advice: “independently of how much stress you have, put away the phone for three minutes, find yourself a quiet spot and chew every bite at least ten times. From experience, I know that this is always possible. You only need to want it and to have a bit of discipline”. If you find this difficult, you can trick yourself. Achim Sam’s advice: “for a week, take a photo of everything that you eat a day. Save the pictures to an extra folder and take a look at them at the end of the week. This way, you will see what you eat on the side during your days. This helps to eat more consciously in the future”.
That being said - enjoy every bite.
Pure Taste. Pure Joy.
